Record repeater for phonographs



Oct- 25, 1932- l.. T. KINCANNON RECORD REPEATER FOR PHoNoGRAPHs Filed June 11, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. T. KINCANNON RECORD REPEATER FOR PHONOGRAPHS A Filed June l1, 1930 Oct. 25, 1932.

Oct. 25, 1932. T. KINCANNON RECORD REPEATER FOR PHONOGRAPHS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 IIIIIIIIII Filed June l1. 1950 m. (SLP Thm oct. 25, 1932. L, T, KlNCANNON 1,883,942

RECORD REPEATER FOR RHONOGRAPHS Filed June ll 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 y Y ZW/ezz 502.

Zea .z' 2222 022/. Q# jg Y Patented Oct. 25, 1932 ernten stares PATENT OFFICE LE() T; KINCANNON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T LOUIS HANSON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS RECORD REPEATER FOR IPHONOGRAIHS Application led June 11,

This invention relates to sound reproduction apparatus, and more particuiarly to phonographs, and has for its main object the provision of an improved construction adapted to automatically repeat the playing of phonograph records.

Another object of this invention is to provide automatic repeating mechanism of the character mentioned which is adapted to be -L' manually adjusted to the sound-producing area of any given record, so that the arm carrying the reproducing element will Ibe actuated simultaneously with the completion of the period of reproduction, and be swung il outwardly and again placed in operative position at the outer edge or the sound-producing area of said record. It consists in certain features and elements et construction herein shown and described, and as indicated by the zo claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a phonograph provided ith repeating mechanism embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view with parte in section showing the arm and reproducing element in raised'positicn with respect to the turntable.

Figure e is a longitudinal section taken sudistantiallg,v at the center of the phonograph showing the arm and reproducing element in operative relation on the phonograph record. Figure 5 i; a fragmentary plan view of a part of the mechanism for raising, swinging and lowering the tone arm; diierent positions oi' adjustment of the parts being indicated in dotted outiine.

`l1"igure 6 is a `fragmentary view of the mech- U anism shown in Figure 5 with the parts rarranged to correspond to the position of the arm and the rei reducing element in an operative 'playing position. e

Figure .7 is a fragmentary detail view of the mechanism controlling the movement of the arm, shown in a position corresponding to the raised inoperative position of the arm.

Figure 8 is an eniarged plan view of ther o phonograph with portions broken away and lill 1930. Serial No. 460,354.

omitted to show the arrangement of the opera-ting mechanism. y

Figure 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the cam lug by means of which the mechanism is adjusted to permit the arm with the reproducing element to be arrested at a proper outward position of adjustment to accommodate records of various sizes.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are detail views showing the hinged section and inclined guideway at the releasing end of the supporting shelf, which permits of manual adjustment of the tone arm and its operating mechanism.

The present invention is especially 'and primarily concerned with the provision of means for controlling the raising, lowering and swinging of the arm carrying the reproducing element, and I have chosen as a preferred embodiment of the present invention to show it in connection with a reproducing element which is of the electrical pick-up type.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the phonograph casing, A, may be of any shape or form to suit the particular requirements, and mounted on the top, of the casing, A, is a record-supporting turn table, 11, rotatably carried in a suitable bearing, 12, o a vertical drive shaft, 13, on the lower end of which is mounted a worm wheel, 14, which in turn is meshed with a worm, 15, carried on the rotor shaft, 16, of the motor indicated rather diagrammatically at 17. This motor is provided with the usual electrical connectlons. not shown, to a suitable source of electrical energy. Y

Mounted in the top, 10, of the casing is a spider support, 19, which is provided with an integral, downwardly extending sleeve, 20. Journaled in said sleeve is a stud or pivot pin, a, which is rigidly secured in a supporting standard, 21, whose lower portion flares outwardly and is shrouded by a flange, 19, of said spider, 19. The outer marginal edges of the standard are preferably supported out of frictional contact with the shroud of the spider so as to insure free swinging of the arm and the reproducing element about the vertical axis of the pivot, 20a. Hingedly connected zit-22 to the upper end of the standard is nism is replaced in position to repeat the cycle.

The outer-most end of the guide support, 36is provided with a pair of upstanding ears, 64, between which is pivoted a cam member, 65, having a downwardly inclined camming surface, 66, with which cooperates a roller, 67, journaled on the slider member. Engaging the upper surface of the cam, 65, is a relativelyT wide foot, 68, secured on the lo-wer end of an upwardly extending rod, 69, which is journaled in an offset boss, 21a, of the standard, and whose upper end projects through a slot, 23a, adjacent the rear end, and on the under side of the arm, 23, and into engagement with the inner wall of the arm, as seen in Figure'3, at a distance from the pivot, 22. It will be apparent that as the slider or actuating member, 50, is moved radially toward the pivot, 20a, the cam member, 65, is raised by the roller, 67, and thereby moves the foot, 68, and the rod, 69, upwardly, which, in turn, raises the arm, 23, upwardly about its hinged connection, 22, and carries the stylus out of engagement with the record. And after the arm, 23, has been Lso raised and has been swung laterally outward by the projection, 47, on the rotating gear, 46, engaging'the feeler, 55, of the slider, then the reverse motion imparted to the slider, 50, by the springs, 60, causes the roller, 67, to recede, allowing the cam, 65, to gradually swing downwardly, permitting the arm, 23, through the medium of the rod, 69, to be lowered so as to again bring the stylus of the reproducing element into operative engagement with the record. f

Pocketed in a cavity, 2lb, in the upper end of the standard, 2l, is a spring, 70, circumscribing the rod, 69, and reacting against the bottom of the cavity, with a washer element, 70a, at the upper end which engages the under surface of the arm, 23, at opposite sides of thea-slot, 23a. This spring exerts a substantial force so as to overcome the major po-rtion of the weight of the arm, 23, and its reproducing element, thus reducing the force otherwise necessary to be applied against the cam surface, 66, and through the rod, 69, for raising the arm about its hinge, 22.

The supporting shelf, 57, is swivelled about the downwardly projecting flange of the spider, 19, as seen in Figure 3, and is adjustable concentrically about the axis of turning of the arm, 23, by means of a finger grip, 71, projecting upwardly through a slot, 10a, in the casing top, which readily permits swinging the support, 57, to a desired positionv of adjustment. This feature of adjustment is provided for accommodating the repeating mechanism to records whose soundproducing areas terminate at various distances with respect to the center, and accordingly the adjustment of the shelf member must be such that the feeler, 55, of the slider element will be completely disengaged therefrom, as indicated at C in Figure 5, at substantially the time that the sound-producing area of the record has been completely traversed by the stylus. l To permit resetting the arm, the extreme end of the shelf opposite the inclined portion, 62, is provided with a hinged section, 73, which is normally supported in substantially the same plane as the main portion of said shelf, but is adapted to be swung upwardly about its hinged connection. The same end of the shelf member is also formed with a downwardly sloping cam or inclined surface, 74, which lies substantially below the hinged section. Thus if the arm, 23, is swung outwardly under manual control, after the feeler, 55, has been disengaged from the shelf member, said feeler will cam up the incline, 74, swinging the hinged section, 73, upwardly, as indicated in dotted outline in Figures l() and 11, and thus position itself on the supporting area of the shelf, 57. To insure that the feeler element will cam up this incline, the end portion thereof is provided with a slight up-turned lip, a, so as to facilitate engaging the inclined surface, 74.

Since the repeating action is entirely automatic, it is necessary to provide some stop for limiting the outward movement of the arm about its pivot shaft, 20a. For this purpose I provide a laterally extending stop arm, 77, rigid with the guide support, 36, which arm cooperates with a cam lug, 78, on the lower end of a stud, 79, which projects upwardly through the top, 10,. of the casing, and is provided exteriorly with a convenient adjusting knob, 80. This cam lug, 78, is so designed as to arrest the stop, 77, of the guide support at positions corresponding to proper starting positions of the arm and its reproducing element for records of different sizes. This will be more readily understood by reference to Figures 5 and 9. When the knob is adjusted so that the stop arm, 77 will engage the corner of the flat surface of the cam as seen in one dotted position of Figure 5, the arm, 23, will then be arrested ata position corresponding to the largest or maximum size record, say, a l2-inch record; and when the knob is adjusted so that the stop arm, 77 is engaged by the curved portion of maximum radius, the arm, 23, will be adjusted for a smaller size record; as for example, a 10-inch record. This position of the arm is also shown in dotted outline in Figure 5. To accommodate records slightly over the normal l2-inch size the fiat portion, 78, of the cam, 78, is cut back slightly from a diametral plane, as seen in Figure 9, thus providing an additional range of adjustment for the arm, 77; and of course the varying radius of the curved part of the cam, 7 8b, permits setting the parts for lilA .Sii

all intermediate sizes between ten and twelve inches.

, I claim:

l. In a repeating device for phonographs, in combination, a record supporting turn table, reproducing means including a supporting arm mounted to swing about an upright axis, with a reproducingl element can ried thereby, and an actuating member movable radially with respect to the axis of the swinging arm connected for raising' said arm and reproducing element out o1 operative engagen'ient with the record, said member also being movable transversely about said axis and positively connected with the tone arm ior actuating said arm and element toward the outeredge of the record.A

2. In a repeating device for phonographs, in combination, a record supporting turn table, reproducing means including a supporting arm mounted to swing about an upright axis, with a reproducing element carried thereby, and a. reciprocable actuating member radially movable relative to said axis, and adapted by its movement in one direction, immediately subsequent to the period of reproduction of the record, to raise said arm and element out ot operative engagement with said record, and adaped, when moved in the opposite direction, to lower said arm for bringing the reproducing element into operative engagement with the record, and meals for swinging said member about the axis of the arm during the inerval between raising' and lowering thereof, for swinging said arm and element outwardly adjacent the marginal edge ot the record.

3. In a repeating device tor phonographs, in combination, a record supporting turn table, reproducing means including a supporting arm mounted to swing about an upright axis, with a reproducing element carried thereby, a reciprocable actuating member radially movable and adapted to swing about the axis of said arm, and means automatically operated upon completion of the period of reproduction of the record for radially moving said member in one direction and swinging it about the axis of the arm, for raising said arm and reproducing element out of operative position and swinging the same outwardly adjacent the marginal edge oi' the record.

l. In the construction delinetL in claim said means being adapted to control rac ial movement ot said actuating member in the opposite direction, substantially upon completion of the outward swinging oi the arm, for lowering the same and its reproducing clement into operative engagement with the outer portion of the record.

5. In the construction defined in claim 3, said means being adapted to control radial movement of said actuating member in the opposite direction, substantially upon com pletion of the outward swinging of the arm, for lowering the same and its reproducing element into operative engagement with the outer portion of the record, and yielding. means for moving said actuating member in said opposite radial direction, for causing the arm and reproducing element to `be lowered into operative position on the record.

(i. In a repeat-ing device for phonographs, in combination, a record supporting turn table, reproducing means including a supporting arm mounted to swing about an upright axis, and a reproducing element carried thereby, a reciprocable actuating member radially movable and also adapted to swing about said axis of the arm, means adapted to engage said member,Vsubstantially when the period of reproduction of the record is completed, for moving it radially for raising the arm and reproducing' element out of operative engagement with the record, said means acting to subsequently cause the member to turn about the axis of the arm for swinging said arm and element toward the outer edge of the record, means for moving said member in opposite radial direction for lowering the arm and element into operative position` and means engageable by said member as it is radially moved in the last mentioned direction serving to support the same out et operative engagement with the iirst mentioned moving means during the time said arm and reproducing element are travelling` inwardly as th-e record is played.

7 In the construction defined in claim 6, said supporting means being angularly adjustable about the axis of the arm;

8. In a repeating device for phonographs, in combination, a casing, a r-ecord supporting turn table journaled on top of the casing, reproducing means including a supporting arm mounted to swing about an upright axis and a reproducing element carried thereby, a supporting standard for said arm movable therewith, a reciprocable slider member adapted to be moved radially of and to turn about the axis ot the arm, a guide support for said slider' member rigidly associated with said standard, whereby said slider, guide support and arm may be turned together about said upright axis, means engageable with the slider upon completion of the period of reproduction oi' the record, for moving said slider radially in its guide support, means responsive to. such movement for raising said arm and reproducing element out of operative engagement with the record, said moving means also beingarranged to simultaneously swing said slider about the upright axis, thereby swinging said arm and reproducing element outwardly toward the margin oit the record, spring means for moving said slider in opposite radial direction for causing said arm and element to be lowered into operative engagement with the record, and means engageable by said slider as it is moved in said last mentioned direction for supporting the same out of engagement with said moving means during the period said arm and element are travelling inwardly over the effective sound producing area of the record.

9. In a repeating device for phonographs, in combination, a casing, a record supporting turn table journaled on the top of the casing, reproducing means including a supporting arm journaled to swing about an upright axis over said table, and a reproducing element carried on the outer end of said arm, a supporting standard for said arm movable therewith about said axis, a reciprocable slider member movable radially of said axis, a guide support for the slider rigidly associated with the standard for swinging the slider with the standard as a unit, means for positively moving the slider radially substantially upon completion of the period of reproduction of the record, said means including a rotating member upon which an end of the slider is adapted to rest, and having a projection adapted for engaging the slider and moving it toward said upright axis, means responsive to such movement of the slider for raising the arm and element out of engagement with the record, the rotary movement of said projection causing the slider to swing about said axis, for swinging the guide support and arm laterally toward the outer edge of the record, means for moving the slider in opposite radial direction for permitting said arm and reproducing element to be lowered into operative engagement with the record, and a supporting shelf overlying a portion of the rotary member clear of the plane of the projection, and having an inclined portion for causing the slider in its last mentioned movement to be directed upon the shelf, said shelf being dimensioned to support the slider out of engagement with the rotary member during the period in which said reproducing element traverses the sound producing area of the record.

10. In the construction defined in claim 9, the outer end of said slider having a pivoted foot, for accommodation to the surfaces of the rotary element and the supporting shelf.

l1. In the construction defined in claim 9, the extreme end of the shelf opposite the ineline having a hinged section adapted to be swung upwardly, and an incline below said hinged section and extending in the direction of swing of the foot of the slider for guiding the said foot up through the opening afforded by the hinged section during manual resetting of the arm and reproducing element.

12. In a repeating device for phonographs, in combination, a casing, a record supporting turn table having journal support in the casing, a supporting spider in the top of the cas.- ing, a standard carried by the spider and rotatable about a vertical axis, an arm hingedly connected at a horizontal axis to said standard and adapted to 'swing therewithabout said vertical axis over the turntable, a reprol automatic. means including a reciprocable slider, radially movable `toward the vertical axis, a guide support for the slider, rotatable with said standard, means for moving the slider radially and simultaneously swinging the same and its guide, together with the arm and appurtenances about said axis, a spring for urging the slider in opposite radial direction, a cam pivoted to the guide support and engageable by the slider as it is reciprocated; and an upright rod, movable by said cam for controlling the raising and lowering ot said arm about its hinge connection.

13. In the construction defined in claim 12, and spring means operating to swing said arm upwardly about its hinge connection and yieldingly uphold said arm with the reproducing element normally out of operative engagement with the record.

14. In a repeating device for phonographs, in combination, a casing, a record supporting turn table journaled on top of the casing, reproducing means including a supporting arm mounted to swing about an upright axis and a reproducing element carried thereby, a supporting standard for said arm movable therewith, a reciprocable slider member adapted to be moved radially of and to turn about the axis of the arm, a guide support for said slider member rigidly associated with said standard, whereby said slider, guide support and arm may be turned together about said upright axis, means engageable with the slider upon completion of the period of reproduction of the record, for moving said slider radially in its guide support, means responsive to such movement for raising said arm and reproducing element out of operative engagement with the record, said moving means also being arranged to simultaneously swing said slider about the upright axis, thereby swinging said arm and reproducing element outwardly toward the margin of the record, spring means for moving said slider in opposite radial direction for causing said arm and element to be lowered into operative engagement with the record, means engageable by said slider as it is moved in said last mentioned direction for supporting the same out of engagement with said moving means during the period said arm and'element are travelling inwardly over the eeotive. sound producing area of the record, andy stop means for'limiting the outward swing of said arm, said means including a rotatable cam-shaped lug depending from the top of the casing and adapted to encounter a stop surface on the guide support, said lug beingA formed so that in Various positions of adjustment said arm Will be swung outwardly more or less so as to aocomlnodate various size records.

l5. In the construction deiined in claim 14, said lug also being formed so as to permit minute adjustment of said arm and reproduoing` element to accommodate small variations in the marginal diameters of records.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 7th day of June-,1930. n

LEO T. KINCANNON. 

